Marshals Showrunner Explains Dolly's Death in Season 2 Premiere

Marshals season 2 opens with a rescue and a funeral. Kayce's son Tate is saved from Tom Weaver, but Kayce's new connection Dolly dies in the same sequence — killed by the actions of her own father.

In an interview with TVLine, showrunner Spencer Hudnut said the decision to kill Dolly was partly practical: the writers struggled to sell her as a believable love interest so soon after Monica's death. "We knew that whomever we introduced first, no matter who it was, was going to be met with some scorn," Hudnut said. "We have to give proper distance to the grieving of Monica."

Hudnut also told ScreenRant that Kayce and Dolly never even kissed on camera in season 1. Their relationship stayed in a holding pattern because Kayce wasn't ready. "They know their relationship hadn't gotten to that point because it felt like we were just still dealing with Monica's loss," he said.

The death also serves a thematic purpose. "This is a reminder that people who grow close to Kayce Dutton tend to have tragic outcomes," Hudnut told TVLine. "In the back of Kayce's mind, he brings chaos to other people's lives."

Tom Weaver survived the car crash that killed his daughter, which the showrunner described as losing "everything else." Whether he returns remains open, but the event will ripple through the season. For Kayce, this is the first major crisis since Monica's death, and it tests his already fragile bond with Tate.

Marshals season 2 continues Fridays on Paramount Network.

• Dolly
• Kayce Dutton
• Marshals
• Spencer Hudnut
• Taylor Sheridan
• Yellowstone